Outdoor rooms

With these warm lazy summer days upon us, many people are looking out their back windows at their patios and decks for that outdoor living room.  A place for some enthused decorating, a quiet spot for your summer read, a comfortable recluse or a gathering place for fun, food and friendship.  Just like an indoor room, your patio or deck can be comfortable as well as intimate.  Treat it as an integral part of your home, an extension if you will.

Fireplaces or pits are all the rage as are gas grills and outdoor kitchens with cooking surfaces that rival the finest kitchens.  You can add “walls” with a trellis or colorful flowerpots; perhaps a weatherproof screen or a reclaimed garden gate.  Use colorful umbrellas for those sunny spots.  Bring indoor elements such as drapes, pillows, mirrors, baskets and lanterns outside.  Purchase an outdoor rug or better yet faux paint your own on a patio floor using stencils.

Decorate with a casual and comfortable feel; surround yourself with items you love.  There is such a wide variety of patio furniture available with gorgeous indoor/outdoor fabrics to choose from.  You can also visit flea markets and resale shops to find inexpensive furniture to paint and/or repurpose.  There is a wide spectrum of spray paints available for multi surfaces, including plastic furniture that you could paint without the need to prime, bringing in colorful pieces to your outdoor rooms.  Color and texture are very important in your outdoor room. They cross the threshold of the window sill and help bring the outdoors into casual, livable spaces.  Accessorize with garden fresh colors full of contrast and surprise as well as wicker, stone, wood and fabrics.  You can easily add mood lighting by reusing Christmas lights, solar lanterns and candles.

Whatever you do, make the space your own, a place to lounge with family and friends, to listen to the sound of nature and be sure that the environment allows for relaxation and enjoyment.